DFC Dan Cahill may have just issued you a speeding ticket - but he doesn't want it to hurt your feelings. "Don't let it ruin your day," said the deputy as he issued a driver a speeding ticket on Wednesday morning, May 28. DFC Cahill and Deputy Joseph Cunningham were working grant-funded enforcement last week on Stevens Road near Rising Sun. The pair were trying to educate the public regarding the Smooth Operator initiative.

Smooth Operator is designed to teach drivers about the risks of aggressive driving. Those who are speeding, not wearing seatbelts, or committing other traffic violations are ticketed. The two deputies were working a posted 35 mile per hour zone. Anyone driving 50 miles per hour or above, was pulled over. The road is a popular cut through for Pennsylvania drivers. But on that day, in the first hour of working, the deputies had netted only Maryland drivers. A female driver was apologetic. "She said 'I was in the wrong'," said DFC Cahill. Cahill was asked why he seemed apologetic and told all the drivers to "not let receiving a speeding ticket ruin their day." "It's not the end of the world," said Cahill. The first Pennsylvania driver they pulled over was a business owner headed to Martin's for groceries. "I wasn't aware I was speeding when they pulled me over. I don't use this road that often. It's my lucky day, because I'm in a hurry too," said the man who received a speeding ticket. "The average speed here is 50. People are generally cooperative and reasonable. They see why we're out here," said DFC Cahill. Deputy Cunningham said the highest speed he clocked during the first hour of enforcement was 58 in the 35 mph zone. He also issued a ticket to a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt.